The Lost Treasure of Ysgramor
by Maelstrom J
Summary: When a family heirloom turns out to be much more than thought, a young man will travel a treacherous path through Skyrim to discover its origins and uncover a secret lost for millennia.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is just the beginning and I know it's not much but the next bit is a lot longer than basically a bar scene. My account is also being a pain in the ass and I can't upload pictures notably the pic for _this_ story. Anyways I've been playing way too much Skyrim lately and this is the fruit of all that gameplay. This applies to anything I might write in the future but please let me know if there are any errors and please leave some feedback it's much appreciated. I own nothing you recognize as canon. All said things belong to Bethesda**.

Prologue: A Drunk's Discovery

Alone... So very alone. Actually I was surrounded by merry men, women and elves but their cheerfulness could not pierce my heart. Dead. My family, all dead save for me. I placed the empty bottle back on the counter alongside another Septim and went back to the tasteless mutton and potatoes. I looked up at the clunk of glass on wood signaled a new bottle of wine. I stared into the dark eyes of the bartender, an older woman with more lines in her face than smooth skin.

" Loss takes time to recover from son. Don't try to just drown it all with mead and wine." She slid the gold piece back across the counter." It's on me." I felt myself smile slightly as I pocketed the coin. I felt the oilskin envelope that held my inheritance other than a bit of gold. I'd been afraid to open it but two bottles of Black-Briar mead really lower your inhibitions.

" Mara guide me." I mumbled as I broke the stitches with my knife. I tipped the envelope over and a small cloth bag, a book and a scroll fell to the counter, the bag hitting harder than the others. I grabbed the book which was bound in worn blue leather and had several ribbon bookmarks protruding from the bottom. I set the book down and unrolled the scroll revealing a map of all of Tamriel in incredible detail. I blinked as the seas seemed to churn and quickly rolled it back up. Guess I had a bit too much to drink after all. I looked at the bag, even more hesitant about it than the envelope itself. I'd gone this far so I reluctantly grabbed the bag. I pulled at the tiny knot for maybe a minute before it came undone. I dumped its contents into my palm and just stared.

Last time I had seen this piece it was clasped around my mothers neck. An amazingly thin chain coiled over much of my hand but I knew it wouldn't break. Whoever had made it had been too careful. The chain led of a metal disk maybe two inches wide with a lip and a strange coiling pattern across its face. And embedded in the center was a brilliantly blue gem brighter than the sky in the morning that had always seemed to shine with its own light.

Sheer force of habit bade me to glance upwards but my mother's face wasn't there to greet me. I slumped on the stool and grabbed my things, stuffing the into the pouches I'd sewn to the inside of my coat. I grabbed the untouched bottle from the counter and tossed a few gold in its place before stumbling home. It's gonna be a long night...


	2. Chapter 2: Family Secrets

**A/N**

 **I know it's not a great title but hey, it kind of fits. I'm still having issues uploading a picture so RIP for now. Anyways here we go.**

 **-J**

The apothecary down the road had claimed that the potion would get rid of the hangover but all it seemed to do was send me scurrying to the waters edge to hurl every 10 feet. Eventually I made it to my feet and made it back to my house where I collapsed into a chair by the fire. I glanced around. _Home_ _sweet_ _home_. Bookshelves stuffed with tomes on everything from Orcs to the gods themselves sat alongside the stone fireplace above which was a shield inscribed with my family crest; a sword flanked by waves with a cloud and lightning above the hilt. I pulled the medallion out from its resting place below my shirt and stared at the disk.

My eyes following the markings through every curve and coil. Every line led to the gemstone, whatever that was. I glanced at the side table where sat the book and map. I'd been so drunk by the time i had gotten home last night that I'd just thrown the two on the table and promptly passed out on a nearby bench. On the down,or maybe upside the bitter sadness of the night before was dulled. I grabbed the map and stretched it out.

"Oh wow." Last night I'd assumed I was simply drunk off my ass but the oceans really did move. Tiny waves, barely a hairsbreath wide crashed on the shores of Morrowind and wispy clouds like a watermark slid across the mountains surrounding Skyrim. In the middle was a tiny white light gleaming just north of the Imperial City. I touched the light and the map dissolved and reformed, showing rivers and forests in as much detail as Tamriel. In the center was a cluster of rectangles grouped around the river and I realized with a start that I was looking at my village just from a bird's-eye-view.

Every building was outlined in incredible detail right down to a Khajiit caravan outside the city walls and the market in the center of town. Writing appeared in the upper right corner in a flowing script that read simply, Martin's Crossroad, Cyrodiil. I just stared. Somehow, someone in my family had gotten some sort of enchanted map that was a lot smarter than a scroll of paper should've been. I set the map back onto the table and stared at the nondescript roll of paper. I shook my head, who in their right mind made something so plain so incredible? But that was a mystery for a later date. My eyes fell to the amulet on my chest. I picked it up and stared at the lines.

Then the map, which had changed to a view of Skyrim and northern Tamriel.

Amulet...

Map...

Amulet...

Map...

" Well I'll be damned." Lines on the outside of the amulet formed Skyrim, with others marking rivers or mountain ranges all across the province. Tiny nodes where the lines connected overlapped with what I knew of Skyrim's major cities and probably a bunch of smaller towns the names of which I couldn't guess. My eyes flickered over to the blue book. What secrets do you hold? I opened the worn cover and started reading.

By the time I finished the sun was low in the sky and Masser and Secunda had begun to clear the horizon. Myths. Legends. Stories, and journals. All on one topic. A treasure trove greater than any one compiled by Man or Mer. When Ysgramor and his 500 sacked the Snow Elf civilization, they pillaged it all. Gold, gems, and valuables of any kind. They took it all. Somehow this treasure vanished from the annals of history and hasn't surfaced since. Or so thought Tamriel. Apparently someone had found it. And I was related to them.


End file.
